Dispensing container for receptacles



April 19, 1966 w, STONE DISPENSING CONTAINER FOR RECEPTACLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 Filed July 2, 1964 l .4... T INVENTOR. OP/SCW M S70v5 BY AITO YQ A ril 19, 1966 o. w STONE 3,246,800

h DISPENSING CONTAINER FOR RECEPTACLES Filed July 2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2.5 I I m A! I 2| 5 i I l i i INVENTOR. i, i 1 OF/SONA/STO/VC 5 n 28 United States Patent 3,246,800 DISPENSING CONTAINER FOR RECEPTACLES Orison W. Stone, Valley Cottage, N.Y., assignor to Developak, Inc, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 2, 1964, Ser. No. 379,875 8 Ciaims. (Cl. 221-405) This invention relates to dispensing cartons or containers, and in particular to containers adapted to support a stack of flexible cups to be dispensed one at a time.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved construction of a cup dispensing carton.

' It is another object of the present invention to provide a cup dispensing container which is formed from a single pre-cut and scored blank of paperboard or like sheet material.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of such a carton or container constructed with novel means designed to ensure release of the cups one at a time from the container.

A more specific object of the present invention is the provision of a cup dispensing container in which is defined a pair of opposed resiliently yieldable or springy cup-retaining elements, the extent of yielding of which, in response to the pressure of a passing cup, is controlled by a pair of control elements alternating with the retaining elements.

A related object of the present invention is the provision of a cup dispensing container as aforesaid in which a main body section and a bottom end section can be telescoped toward one another so as to define the said cup-retaining and control elements.

The foregoing and other objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary enlarged elevational view, in perspective, of an empty dispensing container constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrating the body and bottom end sections thereof in an extended condition;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the container but with the body and end sections telescoped and with a stack of cups therein ready to be dispensed;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 in FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are sectional views taken along the lines 4-4 and 55 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 and illusstrates the extraction of the lowermost cup from the dispensing container;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are sectional views taken, respectively, along the lines 77 and 88 in FIGS. 6; and

FIG. 9 is a plan view, on a reduced scale, of an unfolded one-piece blank of sheet material employed to make the container of FIGS. 1 to 8.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, it will be seen that a cup dispensing container 10 '(FIG. 2) according to the present invention, designed for dispensing a plurality of flexible cups 11 made from paper, synthetic plastics, etc. one at a time from a stack of such cups arranged within the container, is made from a onepiece blank 12 (FIG. 9) of paperboard or other suitable sheet material. The container comprises a main body 13, a bottom end section 14, an upper end closure 15, and a lower end closure 16 (FIG. 1).

The body-forming part of the blank 12 is divided into a plurality of rectangular panels 17 to 21 by a plurality 3,246,800 Patented Apr. 19, 1966 of parallel fold lines 22 to 25 extending lengthwise of the blank. Two of the corners of each of the panels 18 to 21 at one end thereof are angularly cut away, the panels 19 and 21 being further provided at the lowermost extremities of their full-width portions with respective transverse scorings or fold lines 19a and 21a defining two panel sections 1% and 21b. Similarly, the bottom end section-forming part of the blank is divided into a plurality of rectangular panels 26 to 30 by a plurality of parallel fold lines 31 to 34 longitudinally aligned with the fold lines 22 to 25, respectively. The corners of the panels 27 to 30 at one end are also angularly cut away, the panels 27 and 29 being provided at the uppermost extremities of their full-width portions with respective transverse scorings or fold lines 27a and 29a defining two panel sections 27b and 29b.

The panel sections 2711 and 2912 are joined at their narrowest ends to the narrowed ends of the panels 18 and 20 respectively, along a pair of longitudinally aligned fold lines 35 and 36. The panels 28 and 30 are joined at their narrowed ends to a pair of relatively small panels 37 and 38 along respective fold lines 39 and 40, and the panels 37 and 38 in turn are joined to the narrowest ends of the panel sections 19b and 21b along respective fold lines 41 and 42. For a reason to be more fully explained hereinafter, the fold lines 35 and 36 are located in a plane intermediate the planes of the pairs of fold lines 39-41 and -42.

It will be seen, therefore, that each of the combination panels 18-2712-27 and 20-29b-29 is provided at its opposite sides with a pair of V-shaped recesses substantially symmetrical relative to the fold lines 35 and 36, while each of the combination panels 1919b-3728 and 21-21b-38-3tl is provided at its opposite sides with a pair of substantially V-shaped recesses essentially symmetrical relative to the panels 37 and 38. The recesses located interiorly of the blank thus define three essentially diamond-shaped openings to which further reference will be made hereinafter.

The upper end closure-forming part of the blank 12 comprises an essentially square panel 43 connected at one end to the full-width end of the panel 20 along a fold line 44 and connected at its opposite sides along fold lines 45 and 46 to a pair of essentially triangular panels 47 and 48 which in turn are connected along fold lines 49 and 50 to the full-width ends of the panels 19 and 21. The panels 47 and 48 are bisected by fold lines 51 and 52. The end closure section 15 further comprises a tuck flap 53 connected to the full-width end of the panel 18 along a fold line 54 and constituted by a pair of panels 55 and 56 connected to one another along a fold line 57. The flap 53 is completely separated from the panel 47, as shown at 58.

The lower end closure-forming part of the blank 12 comprises a pair of panels 59 and 60 connected along scorings or tear lines 61 and 62 to the end section panels 27 and 29, respectively, and a pair of panels 63 and 64 connected to the end section panels 28 and 30 along respective scorings or tear-lines 65 and 66. The panels 59 and 60 are essentially rectangular in outline except for being notched or recessed at their free end edges and having one corner cut away, while the panels 63 and 64 are essentially trapezoidal in outline, with one side edge extending perpendicularly to the tear lines 65 and 66 and with the other side edge extending obliquely relative to said tear lines.

Referring again to the body-forming part of the blank 12, the panel 18 is provided adjacent its narrowed end with an oblong scoring or tear line 67, thereby defining a punch-out portion 68 which can be punched or torn out to leave in the panel 18 an opening or window 69 (FIGS. 4 and 7). The panel 20 is provided with an oblong opening or window 79 which is considerably longer than the openings 69 and is normally covered by a strip 70a (FIGS. 4 and 7) of cellophane or other clear transparent plastic material. The panel is further provided with a small punch-out portion '71 which upon removal provides a key-shaped opening 72 (FIG. 2).

To form the container 11 the lower end closure panels 59, 6'0, 63 and 64 are first folded up against the inside surfaces of the respective panels 27 to along the fold lines 61, 62, 65 and 66, whereupon the entire blank 12 is folded into a flat structure along the fold lines 23-32, and 25-34 so as to dispose the combination panels 18 27b27 and 21-21b3fi3tl flat against the combination panels 194911-3748 and 2tl-29b-29, respectively. Concurrently, then, the relatively narrow panel 17 is glued or adhesively bonded to the inner surface of the adjacent free edge region of the panel 21 (FIGS. 5 and 8), the small panel 26 is glued or bonded to the inner surface of the adjacent free edge region of the panel 30, and the inside surfaces of the smaller corner portions of the lower end closure panels 59 and 6t) subtended by fold lines 73 and 74 are glued or bonded to the outside surfaces of correspondingly dimensioned corner portions of the panels 63 and 64. The lower end closure 16 is thus completed at the same time as the container itself.

The container is generally shipped, while in such flatfolded state, from the manufacturer to a user such as a distributor of cup-filled dispensing containers. It will be understood that a fourth diamond-shaped opening (three were previously mentioned herein in connection with the description of the blank 12) is formed when the combination panel 1827b27 is juxtaposed to the combination panel 2121b3330 during the fol-ding of the blank 12. The function of these openings will be more specifically referred to hereinafter.

It is to be noted that as a part of the manufacture of the container 119, the panel 20 of the blank 12 will usually have printed thereon advertising material, e.g. the name of the distributor or manufacturer of the cups, trademarks, and the like, while the other panels 18, 19 and 21 will usually have printed thereon purely decorative or esthetically attractive designs. The reason for this arrangement will become clear as the description proceeds.

In order to prepare it for use, the empty carton 11 is opened by applying light pressure to the container edges defined by the fold lines 23 and 25. The container thus is transformed into a square tubular structure having the shape and contours illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 8. This automatically brings the lower end closure 16 into its flat state, closing the bottom end section 14 of the container (FIG. 1). The container body 13 and bottom end section 14 are then telescoped with each other, preferably simply by holding one stationary and pushing the other toward it, until the container looks as shown in FIG. 2 (but without the cups). It will be apparent that it is only by virtue of the presence of the diamond-shaped openings at the four corners of the container that such telescoping movement is made possible. The telescoping action leads to a number of changes of the interior contours of the container at the junction between the body 13 and the bottom end section 14, which will now be described.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 3 to 8 as the two parts of the container are telescoped, the bottom end section panels 27b and 2%, which are initially angled inwardly and toward the container body 13, are pivoted downwardly about their respective fold lines 27a and 2%, while concurrently therewith, the reduced width end portions 18a and 20a (FIGS. 2 and 7) of the body panels 18 and 20 are brought into overlying relationship to the panels 27b and 29b due to the presence of the fold lines and 36. Thus there are formed a pair of resilient tab-like structures extending arcuately into the confines of the bottom end section 14. The function of these structures will be more fully explained presently.

Reverting now again to the start of the telescoping action, while the panels 27b and 2% are being pivoted downwardly as aforesaid, the panels 19b and 211), which are initially angled inwardly and toward the bottom end section 14, are pivoted upwardly into the body 13 about the respective fold lines 1% and 21a. Concurrently therewith, the small intermediate panels 37 and 38 are also pivoted relative to the body panels 1% and 2111 about the fold lines 41 and 42, and relative to the panels 28 and 30 about the fold lines 39 and 4%. When the panels 19b and 21b finally come to lie flat against the inner surfaces of the panels 19 and 20, however, the panels 37 and 38 extend therefrom (FIGS. 3 and 6) at a predetermined downward slant inwardly of the body 13 and toward the bottom end section 14, while the reduced width portions 28a and 39a of the panels 28 and 30 curve smoothly upwardly and in toward the innermost edges (fold lines 39 and 40) of the panels 37 and 38. This arrangement is due to the fact that the perpendicular distance from the common plane of the fold lines 39 and as to the common plane of the fold lines 19a and 21a is greater than the perpendicular distance from the common plane of the fol-d lines 35 and 36 to the imaginary line (coplanar with the fold lines 19a and 21a) defining the nearest end of the full. width portions of the panels 18 and 21 The previously mentioned tab structures lea-27b and 2(la29b thus control the degree of angular orientation of the panels 37 and 38. More specifically, this angular orientation is essentially a function of the disposition of the fold lines or scorings 35 and 36 relative to the pairs of scorings or fold lines 341 and 40- 12, by virtue of the fact that the relative positioning of the various scorings predetermines the degree of telescoping movement between the container body 13 and the bottom end section 14. Thus, moving the scorings 35 and 36 upwardly from their illustrated positions relative to the pairs of fold lines 39-41 and 4042 will decrease the angle between each of the panels 37 and 38 and its associated container side wall. For the purposes of the present invention, the panels 37 and 38 should normally be oriented at an angle of about 45 degrees to the vertical.

The desired number of cups 11, nested in one another, is then placed upright into the container 1!). The panel 43 of the upper end closure 15 is now bent along the fold line 44 down toward the top end opening of the body 13 of the container, while the side panels 47 and 48 are simultaneously bent under the panel 43 along the fold lines 49 and 50, and folded in half inwardly along the fold lines 51 and 52. In this manner, a slot-like space is defined between the under surface of the panel 43 and the upper surfaces of the adjacent panel sections 47a and 48a. The tuck flap 53 is then bent over along the fold line 54 and inserted into this space, completing the locking of the closure 15.

The filled container is now ready for sale and/or distribution. At such time, for example when placed on display in a retail store, the container will be positioned with the panel 20 facing upwardly or frontwardly to enable prospective purchasers to view the style, coloring and other features of the cups 11 through the Window 70-70a and to examine such advertising material, trademarks and other pertinent information as may be printed on that face of the container. It will be understood that the container while on display is fully dust-proof, since the window 70 is sealed by the transparent sheet 79a of cellophane or other plastic material, the openings 69' and 72 are sealed by the punch out portions 68 and 71,, respectively, and the various panels of the two end closures are so interlocked as to prevent any passage of dust therethrough into the container.

In use, the punch out portion 71 is removed from the panel 20, which now becomes the rear panel of the container, and the latter is then suspended from a wall or other supporting surface by fitting the opening 72 over a nail, hook or like element (not shown) aflixed to said surface. The decorated panels 18, 19 and 21, therefore, become the visible front and side panels of the container, whereby all advertising or other matter which might be esthetically unattractive is completely hidden from view. At the same time, the lower end closure 16 is removed simply by tearing the same off along the scorings or tear lines 61, 62, 65 and 66, a procedure which is facilitated by the provision of small semi-circular tabs at the attached edges of the panels 59 and 60 which tabs, in the assembled container, extend upwardly into the confines of the bottom end section panels 27 and 29 (FIGS. 1 and 2) for easy accessibility. If desired, the punch out portion 68 may also be removed to uncover the window 69 for the purpose of enabling the user to determine when the supply of cups is nearing exhaustion.

With the bottom end closure 16 removed, the entire stack of cups 11 drops downwardly through the container until the bead or peripheral lip 75 of the lowermost cup 11a engages the upper surfaces of the opposed, inwardly angled panels 37 and 38 (FIGS. 3 and 5). At this time, the innermost extremities 35 and 36 of the tab structures 1861-27b and Zilaiiib are spaced somewhat from the adjacent parts of the outer surface of the lowest cup 11a (FIG. 4). It will now been seen that these tab structures not only determine the initial positioning of the retaining elements 37-2841 and Sit-349a, but also resist any tendency of the retaining elements to flatten out under the weight of the stack of cups 11. This will best be understood when it is considered that such flattening out can occur only if the extent to which the tab structures 18a-27b and 2ila29b project inwardly of the container is substantially increased, which is equivalent to an outward relative telescoping movement between the container body 13 and the bottom end section 14. The dimensions of the panels 27b and 2% (as measured lengthwise of the blank 12) and the strengths of the pairs of hinges or fold lines 27:1-35 and 29a36 bounding these panels are so predetermined, however, that under ordinary loads they restrain the panel portions 18a and 2% against any inward movement exceeding that required for achieving the desired orientation of the panels 37 and 33.

To extract a cup from the container 10, the user merely pulls the lowermost cup 11a downwardly, as is customary with such devices. The arrangement according to the present invention is such that the forces exerted on the panels 37 and 38 by the downwardly moving cup cause the retaining elements to start flattening out. This process continues, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, against and overcoming the resistance to such flattening offered by the aforesaid tab structures, until the innermost extremities of the latter (fold lines 35 and 36) come into engagement with the sides of the cup 1101. Thereafter, as the cup 11a continues is downward movement, further inward displacement of the tab structures 18a27b and 20a29b is elfectively inhibited. Thus, the cup-retaining elements define a yieldable gate for the cups.

It will be appreciated, of course, that only a relatively limited flattening of the said elements is required to permit the cup 11a to pass. The relationship between the cup-retaining elements and the associated tab structures is so predetermined that the innermost extremities of the latter reach the body of the lowermost cup at approximately the same time that the lip or bead 75 of the cup passes the innermost edges (fold lines 39 and 40) of the gate. Accordingly, as the cup 11a continues its downward movement, not only is further flattening of the retaining elements inhibited, but due to the effect of their inherent resilience they reverse and spring back to their normal shape immediately and catch the lip or head 75 of the next lowest cup 11b. The springiness of the cup-retaining elements is actually enhanced by the contact between the tab structures 1811-27b and 20a29b, inasmuch as the subsequent continued movement of the tapered cup body therebetween again tends to displace them outwardly, i.e. toward the side walls 27 and 29, respectively, of the bottom end section 14, and thus applied to the retaining elements stresses which aid them to snap back under the lip of the cup 11b. The action is of such a character that with ordinary gripping forces applied to the lowermost cup of the stack, only one cup will be extracted at a time. This is a particular advantage of the dispensing container according to the present invention, since it eliminates the need for providing any auxiliary means, such as ribs or corrugations on the cupretaining elements, for insuring the extraction of only one cup at a time. The container thus is of relatively simplified construction and can be produced more econom ically than heretofore known containers of this type.

I claim:

1. In a dispensing container made from a one-piece precut and scored blank of flexible sheet material and adapted to contain a plurality of flexible cups nested in a stack; a tubular body having a plurality of walls connected to one another along parallel longitudinal fold lines, and a bottom end section having a like plurality of walls connected to one another along parallel longitudinal fold lines, said walls of said body and said walls of said bottom end section being connected to one another along respective transverse fold lines for telescoping movement of a portion of said bottom end section into and out of said body, said body and bottom end section upon inward relative telescoping movement thereof defining at the junc-. tions of two opposed ones of said Walls of said body with the associated two opposed walls of said bottom end section a pair of resiliently outwardly yieldable cup-retaining elements projecting inwardly of the container and having respective upper, downwardly angled surfaces engageable under the top lip of the lowest cup in the stack, said body and bottom end section concurrently defining at the junctions of two other opposed ones of said walls of said body with the associated other two walls of said bottom end section a pair of resilient inwardly and downwardly angled tab structures which control the extent of inward relative telescoping movement between said body and said bottom end section and the innermost extremities of which upon limited inward displacement concomitant with an outward yielding of said retaining elements are engageable with the body of the lowest cup in the stack at the opposite sides thereof, whereby upon downward movement of said lowest cup said retaining elements are pressed outwardly to enable the top lip of said lowest cup to clear said retaining elements, while said tab structures are displaced inwardly into contact with said lowest cup, thereby to limit the outward displacement of said retaining elements and aid in the springy return of the latter to their normal position for engaging under the top lip of the next lowest cup of the stack.

2. In a dispensing container according to claim 1; each of said cup-retaining elements comprising a first panel member in rectilinear plane state extending inwardly of said body and downwardly relative thereto at an angle of between about 15 and 45 degrees to the horizontal, and a second panel member in curvilinear plane state extending downwardly and outwardly from the innermost extremity of said first panel member and merging into the associated wall of said bottom end section.

3. In a dispensing container according to claim 1; each of said cup-retaining elements comprising a first panel member in rectilinear plane state extending inwardly of said body and downwardly relative thereto at an angle of between about 15 and 45 degrees to the horizontal, and a second panel member in curvilinear plane state extending downwardly and outwardly from the innermost extremity of said first panel member and merging into the associated wall of said bottom end section, and each of said tab structures comprising a third panel member in curvilinear plane state extending inwardly of said bottom end section and downwardly from its associated other wall, and a fourth panel member in curvilinear plane state extending upwardly and outwardly from the innermost extremity of said third panel member and merging into the associated other wall of said body.

4. In a dispensing container made from a one-piece precut and scored blank of flexible sheet material and adapted to contain a plurality of flexible cups nested in a stack; a tubular body having four walls connected to one another along parallel longitudinal fold lines, and a bottom end section having four walls connected to one another along parallel longitudinal fold lines, said walls of said body and said walls of said bottom end section being connected to one another along respective transverse fold lines for telescoping movement of a portion of said bottom end section into and out of said body, said body and bottom end section upon outward telescoping movement thereof being transversely collapsible to a Hat state, said body and bottom end section upon inward relative telescoping movement thereof defining at the junctions of two opposed ones of said walls of said body with the associated two opposed walls of said bottom end section a pair of resiliently outwardly yieldable cup-retaining elements projecting inwardly of the container and having respective upper, downwardly angled surfaces engageable under the top lip of the lowest cup in the stack, and said body and bottom end section upon inward relative telescoping movement thereof concurrently defining at the junctions of the other two walls of said body with their associated other two walls of said bottom end section a pair of resilient inwardly and downwardly angled tab structures which control the extent of inward relative telescoping movement of said body and said bottom end section and the innermost extremities of which upon limited inward displacement concomitant with an outward yielding of said retaining elements are engageable with the body of the lowest cup in the stack at the opposite sides thereof, whereby upon downward movement of said lowest cup said retaining elements are pressed outwardly to enable the top lip of said lowest cup to clear said retaining elements, while said tab structures are displaced inwardly into con-tact with said lowest cup, thereby to limit the outward displacement of said retaining elements and aid in the springy return of the latter to their normal positions for engaging under the top lip of the next lowest cup of the stack.

5. In a dispensing container according to claim 4; each of said cup-retaining elements comprising a first panel member in rectilinear plane state extending inwardly of said body and downwardly relative thereto at an angle of between about 15 and 45 degrees to the horizontal, and a second panel member in curvilinear plane state extending downwardly and outwardly from the innermost extremity of said first panel member and merging into the associated wall of said bottom end section.

6. In a dispensing container according to claim 4; each of said cup-retaining elements comprising a first panel member in rectilinear plane state extending inwardly of said body and downwardly relative thereto at an angle of between about 15 and 45 degrees to the horizontal, and a second panel member in curvilinear plane state extending downwardly and outwardly from the innermost extremity of said first panel member and merging into the associated wall of said bottom end section, and each of said tab structures comprising a third panel member in curvilinear plane state extending inwardly of said bottom end section and downwardly from its associated other wall, and a fourth panel member in curvilinear plane state extending upwardly and outwardly from the innermost extremity of said third panel member and merging into the associated other wall of said body.

7. In a dispensing container according to claim 4; each of said cup-retaining elements comprising a first panel member in rectilinear plane state joined to its associated wall of said body by a respective transverse fold line and extending upwardly relative to and lying flat against the inner surface of said associated wall of said body, a second panel member in rectilinear plane state joined to the uppermost edge of said first panel member by a transverse fold line and extending therefrom inwardly of said body and downwardly relative thereto at an angle of between about 15 and 45 degrees to the horizontal, and a third panel member in curvilinear plane state joined to the innermost extremity of said second panel member by a transverse f-old line and extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom and merging into the associated wall of said bottom end section, and each of said tab structures comprising a fourth panel member in curvilinear plane state joined to its associated other wall of said bottom end section by a transverse fold line and extending downwardly and inwardly therefrom, and a fifth panel member in curvilinear plane state joined to said fourth panel member at the innermost extremity of said fourth panel member by a transverse fold line and extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom and merging into the associated other wall of said body.

8. In a dispensing container according to claim 7; said transverse fold lines between said first panel members and their associated walls of said body being coplanar with one another, the two transverse fold lines bounding each of said second panel members being coplanar, respectively, with the two transverse fold lines bounding the other of said second panel members, and the two transverse fold lines bounding each of said fourth panel members being coplanar, respectively, with the two transverse fold lines bounding the other of said fourth panel members, the perpendicular distance from the plane of the transverse fold lines at the junctions between said first and second panel members to the plane of the transverse fold lines at the junctions between said first panel members and said associated two walls of said body, as measured upon outward relative telescoping movement between the latter and said bottom end section, being smaller than the perpendicular distance from said lastnamed plane to the plane of the transverse fold lines at the junctions between said fourth and fifth panel members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,346,792 7/1920 Bergman 221-308 2,349,074 5/ 1944 Buttermann 221-310 2,926,813 3/1960 Marion 221-307 2,991,910 7/1961 Coe 221-305 3,155,276 11/1964 Williamson et al. 221-310 LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

WALTER SOBIN, Examiner. 

1. IN A DISPENSING CONTAINER MADE FROM A ONE-PIECE PRECUT AND SCORE BLANK OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL AND ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A PLURALITY OF FLEXIBLE CUPS NESTED IN A STACK; A TUBULAR BODY HAVING A PLURALITY OF WALLS CONNECTED TO ONE ANOTHER ALONG PARALLEL LONGITUDINAL FOLD LINES, AND A BOTTOM END SECTION HAVING A LIKE PLURALITY OF WALLS CONNECTED TO ONE ANOTHER ALONG PARALLEL LONGITUDINAL FOLD LINES, SAID WALLS OF SAID BODY AND SAID WALLS OF SAID BOTTOM END SECTION BEING CONNECTED TO ONE ANOTHER ALONG RESPECTIVE TRANSVERSE FOLD LINES FOR TELESCOPING MOVEMENT OF A PORTION OF SAID BOTTOM END SECTION INTO AND OUT OF SAID BODY, SAID BODY AND BOTTOM END SECTION UPON INWARD RELATIVE TELESCOPING MOVEMENT THEREOF DEFINING AT THE JUNCTIONS OF TWO OPPOSED ONES OF SAID WALLS OF SAID BODY WITH THE ASSOCIATED TWO OPPOSED WALLS OF SAID BOTTOM END SECTION A PAIR OF RESILIENTLY OUTWARDLY YIELDABLE CUP-RETAINING ELEMENTS PROJECTING INWARDLY OF THE CONTAINER AND HAVING RESPECTIVE UPPER, DOWNWARDLY ANGLED SURFACES ENGAGEABLE UNDER THE TOP LIP OF THE LOWEST CUP IN THE STACK, SAID BODY AND BOTTOM END SECTION CONCURRENTLY DEFINING AT THE JUNCTIONS OF TWO OTHER OPPOSED ONES OF SAID WALLS OF SAID BODY WITH THE ASSOCIATED OTHER TWO WALLS OF SAID BOTTOM END SECTION A PAIR OF RESILIENTLY INWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY ANGLED TAB STRUCTURES WHICH CONTROL THE EXTENT OF INWARD RELATIVE TELESCOPING MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID BODY AND SAID BOTTOM END SECTION AND THE INNERMOST EXTREMITIES OF WHICH UPON LIMITED INWARD DISPLACEMENT CONCOMITANT WITH AN OUTWARD YIELDING OF SAID RETAINING ELEMENTS ARE ENGAGEABLE WITH THE BODY OF THE LOWEST CUP IN THE STACK AT THE OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, WHEREBY UPON DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID LOWEST CUP SAID RETAINING ELEMENTS ARE PRESSED OUTWARDLY TO ENABLE THE TOP LIP OF SAID LOWEST CUP TO CLEAR SAID RETAINING ELEMENTS, WHILE SAID TAB STRUCTURES ARE DISPLACED INWARDLY INTO CONTACT WITH SAID LOWEST CUP, THEREBY TO LIMIT THE OUTWARD DISPLACEMENT OF SAID RETAINING ELEMENTS AND AID IN THE SPRINGY RETURN OF THE LATTER TO THEIR NORMAL POSITION FOR ENGAGING UNDER THE TOP LIP OF THE NEXT LOWEST CUP OF THE STACK. 